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Table of Content

    10 May 2010, Volume 29 Issue 05
    Articles
    Adaptability of citrus in subtropics of China under future climatic scenario.
    2010, 29(05):  833-839. 
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    Based on the 1961-2008 daily meteorological data from 273 stations, and in combination with the simulated temperature and precipitation data under future climate scenario (SRES A2), the climate adaptability of citrus in subtropics of China was studied by using crops climate adaptability model. The variation of citrus climate adaptability was dominated by temperature, and its spatial pattern was basically consistent with the variation of temperature adaptability. Under the future climate scenario, the variation of citrus climate adaptability was approximately in latitudinal distribution, appearing as the turn from descending to ascending with increasing latitude, and could be divided into four types, i.e., high descending type, low descending type, low ascending type, and high ascending type. On the whole, the line of Wenzhou-Jinhua-Pucheng-Leping-Yingshan-Wuhan-Shimen-Jishou-Wugang-Tongdao-Dushan-Wangmo-Guangnan-Pingbian-Lancang could be served as the boundary for the descending and ascending of citrus climate adaptability. In the south of the line, the adaptability was somewhat descending; in the north of the line, the adaptability was somewhat ascending. In addition, there was a greater ascending in the citrus climate adaptability in the west subtropics.
    Plant species diversity of Pinus tabulaeformis f. shekannesis community on Loess Plateau.
    2010, 29(05):  840-846. 
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    Species diversity pattern is closely related to selected scales. By using additive partition approach, this paper analyzed the species diversity patterns in tree, shrub, and herb layers of Pinus tabulaeformis f. shekannesis community at three scales (quadrat, slope position, and slope). When using species richness as the indicator, slope scale contributed most to regional diversity, being the critical scale for species composition and maintenance within a region. When measured with Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, the highest diversity was found at quadrat scale, because these two indices not only considered species number, but also considered the species abundance in a quadrat and the influence and roles of common and rare species. When using Shannon diversity as the indicator, the contribution of β diversity at betweenquadrat, between-slope position, and between-slope scales to regional diversity was higher than that of Simpson diversity, which was mainly decided by the distribution pattern of rare species among the scales. The order of β diversity existed differences among between-quadrat, between-slope position, and between-slope scales, which was closely related to the species composition and distribution in the tree, shrub, and herb layers of the community, and the environmental heterogeneity among different scales.
    Population structure and distribution pattern of dominant tree species in a secondary forest on Laoshan island of Qiandao Lake Region.
    2010, 29(05):  847-854. 
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    In order to explore the secondary succession mechanism of evergreen broad-leaved forests in subtropical zone, an investigation was made on a secondary forest having been restored for 40 years after clear-cutting on Laoshan island of Qiandao Lake region, Zhejiang Province, China, with the population structure, survivorship curve, and spatial distribution pattern of the dominant tree species in this community analyzed. Pinus massoniana population had the highest importance value (50.47%), followed by Lithocarpus glabra, Castanopsis sclerophylla,and Cyclobalanopsis glauca populations. The population structure of P. massoniana was of spindle type, the number of the individuals at agesize classes 1 and 2 was very few, and juvenile individuals were defective, representing a declining trend; while the population structure of L. glabra, C. sclerophylla, and C. glauca was of pyramid type. Based on the analysis of static life table, the mortality of the P. massoniana individuals at small age-size classes was negative, which also suggested that the seedlings in P. massoniana population were defective, and the population had a declining trend. The survivorship curve of P. massoniana population was convex, while that of L. glabra, C. sclerophylla and C. glauca populations was approximately linear. The entirety and the individuals at different agesize classes of the four dominant populations all presented a clumping distribution. In sum, P. massoniana population was of stable type with a declining trend, while L. glabra, C. sclerophylla, and C. glauca populations were of stable type with a developing trend. During the succession process, the community would develop to conifer-broadleaved forest, and finally, to evergreen broadleaved forest.
    Morphological characters of Erodium oxyrrhynchumdiaspore.
    2010, 29(05):  855-861. 
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    Erodium oxyrrhynchum is a dominant ephemeral plant in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Its diaspore can successively establish on soil bio-crust. In this paper, a laboratory experiment was conducted under controlled conditions, and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphological changes of the diaspore following hygroscopic absorption. The appending hairs located on the epidermis of the diaspore had four types, playing important roles in the moisture retention and diaspore fixation, and being considered as an adaptation strategy to the dispersion and establishment of E. oxyrrhynchum. There existed transition areas and gaps in the conjunction of fruit and awn. During the process of hygroscopic absorption, the angle between awn and major axis decreased gradually, and the epidermal cells changed in shape, which were the basis of the hygroscopic movement. These morphological changes could promote the mobility of the diaspore on soil surface, and benefit the seed establishment when the habitat was suitable. Our results provided morphological evidences for the further study on the establishment mechanisms of E. oxyrrhynchum.
    Effects of grazing intensity on the biodiversity and productivity of meadow steppe.
    2010, 29(05):  862-868. 
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    A series of comparative sampling plots were selected to study the effects of different grazing intensities on the biodiversity and productivity of a  Leymus chinensis meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia. It was shown that with the increase of grazing intensity, α diversity index decreased after an initial increase, and had the highest value in light grazing areas, which supported the ‘medium disturbance theory’, while β diversity index had an increasing trend. Lesser similarity of plant species was observed under different grazing intensities. There was a significant linear relationship between aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and Alatalo evenness index (P<0.05). Grazing and climate had larger effects on the ANPP, but their interactive effect was not significant. No grazing could not maintain grassland health, but healthy grassland could effectively buffer the disturbances of grazing and climate, and maintain its higher productivity and biodiversity.
    Effects of clipping, fertilizing, and watering on compensatory growth of Elymus nutans.
    2010, 29(05):  869-875. 
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    Grazing intensity and resource availability can affect the compensatory growth of defoliated plants. In this paper, a 2-year field manipulative experiment was conducted to study the effects of clipping (stubbled 1 cm, stubbled 3 cm, and unclipped), fertilizing (fertilized and unfertilized), and watering (watered and nonwatered) on the compensatory growth of Elymus natans. The compensatory height (CH), specific leaf area (SLA), net photosynthesis rate (NPR), and relative growth rate (RGR) were measured, aimed to approach the compensatory mechanism of the species. With increasing clipping intensity, the ramet density, SLA, and RGR of E. nutans increased significantly, while the CH decreased. No significant difference was observed in the leaf NPR among different clipping treatments. Fertilizing greatly promoted the CH, SLA, NPR and RGR of the species. Watering and the interaction among clipping, watering, and fertilizing had no significant effects on the species. These results suggested that E. nutans had certain density compensation mechanism, but the undercompensation in plant height resulting from the CH was restrained by clipping. An appreciable increase in SLA and RGR after defoliated was not enough to induce overcompensation in plant height. However, fertilizing could enhance the compensation ability, and promote the plant species tolerance against defoliation. Our results confirmed the improved limiting resource model (LRM).
    Correlations between canopy reflectance spectrum parameters and leaf chlorophyll content of flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).
    2010, 29(05):  876-880. 
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    To determine the correlativity between canopy reflectance parameters and leaf chlorophyll content of flue-cured tobacco, this paper measured the canopy reflectance spectrum and the contents of leaf chlorophyll a (Chl-a), chlorophyll b (Chl-b), and carotenoid (Cars) under different N application rate, and analyzed the correlations between the spectrum parameters and the chlorophyll contents. With the increase of N application rate, the contents of fresh leaf Chl-a, Chl-b, and Cars at spherical plant stage and fast growing stage all increased, and the reflection in near infrared bands enhanced but that in visible bands decreased. At topping stage, the contents of Chl-a, Chl-b, and Cars and the canopy reflectance did not present notable changing trend. Within the visible bands, the reflection of 460 nm was significantly positively correlated with the contents of Chl-a, Chl-b, and Cars, while the reflection of other bands was significantly negatively correlated with the contents of the three pigments. Within the near infrared bands, the reflection of 1480 nm was significantly negatively correlated with the contents of Chl-a, Chl-b, and Cars, while the reflection of other bands was significantly positively correlated with the contents of the three pigments. The best regression equations to determine the quantitative relations between the contents of fresh leaf Chl-a, Chl-b, and Cars and the spectrum parameter (ratio vegetation index, RVI) were power function, power function, and exponential function respectively, i.e., Chl-a=0.250RVI(730,550)1.511, Chl-b=0.049RVI(730,550)1.841, and Cars=0.0998e0.379 RVI(730,550).
    Effects of isotonic NaCl and mannitol stress on the photosynthesis of Atriplex triangularis and Zea mays.
    2010, 29(05):  881-886. 
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    A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the short-term effects of isotonic NaCl and mannitol stress on the photosynthesis of  arrow-leaf saltbush (Atriplex triangularis) and maize (Zea mays). Both the NaCl and the mannitol stress decreased the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A. triangularis and Z. mays. With the increase of the stress, the mannitol-induced decrement of Pn was much greater than the NaCl-induced one. Under the mild stress of NaCl or mannitol, the decline of Pn was mainly due to stomata limit. When the mannitol stress was below -1.00 MPa, stomata limit gradually turned to non-stomata limit; when the NaCl stress was below -1.00 MPa, stomata limit still dominated. Therefore, isotonic mannitol stress had greater effects than isotonic NaCl stress on the photosynthesis of the  two test plants.
    Effects of maleic hydrazide and glutathione on Cd accumulation in Tagetes erecta L.
    2010, 29(05):  887-891. 
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    A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of cell division inhibitor maleic hydrazide (MH) on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Tagetes erecta L., and the Cd accumulation in T. erecta leaves at different positions under the stress of 0.1 mg Cd·L-1. Meanwhile, the Scontaining compounds cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) were foliar-sprayed to investigate their effects on the Cd accumulation. The results showed that adding 4 mmol MH·L-1 to the culture solution had no obvious effects on the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and nitrate reductase and superoxide dismutase activities of T. erecta. In the control (without MH addition), the Cd concentration of top part leaves in consecutive three days increased from 0.81 to 4.89 mg·kg-1, while that of mid and bottom part leaves increased from 0.24 and 0.32 mg·kg-1 to 1.34 and 1.71 mg·kg-1, respectively, illustrating that Cd first accumulated in top part leaves, i.e., the growth point of the plant. Adding MH to the solution inhibited the Cd accumulation in top part leaves significantly (P<0.05), but had less effects on the Cd accumulation in mid and bottom part leaves, compared with the control, which suggested that Cd accumulation in leaves had definite relations with cell division, in other words, exuberant cell division could promote leaf Cd accumulation. Foliar-spraying GSH alleviated the inhibitory effect of MH, while foliar-spraying Cys had less effect, suggesting that GSH participated in the metabolism of the plant, or interact with Cd, and thereby, the Cd level in plant shoots increased.
    Effects of exogenous Ca on leaf antioxidant system and membrane proton pump activity of cucumber seedlings under salt stress.
    2010, 29(05):  892-898. 
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    Taking salttolerant cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) variety ‘Xintai Mici’ as test object, a water culture experiment was conducted to study the effects of foliar spraying Ca(NO3)2 on leaf reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant enzyme activities, antioxidants, and membrane proton pump activity of cucumber seedlings under the stress of 65 mmol NaCl·L-1. Under this stress, foliar spraying Ca(NO3)2 decreased the O2- production rate and MDA content, and increased the APX and DHAR activities, AsA content, AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG ratios, and membrane H+-ATPase and H+-PPase activities significantly, suggesting that exogenous Ca could mitigate the oxidative damage induced by salt stress, and enhance the salt-tolerance of plants through up-regulating the plant antioxidant ability and ion compartmentation.
    Effects of cadmium stress on physiological and biochemical indices of Viburnum odoratissimum and V. tinus seedlings.
    2010, 29(05):  899-904. 
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    A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of different Cd concentrations  on the leaf morphology and physiological and biochemical indices of 3-year-old Viburnum odoratissimum and V. tinus seedlings, and the Cd accumulation in their roots, stems, and leaves. Cadmium stress had no significant effects (P<0.05) on the leaf physiological and biochemical indices of V. odoratissimum. However, under stress of 100 mg·kg-1CdCl2, the V. tinusseedling's leaves were damaged. Their electrolyte leakage and MDA content increased, while chlorophyll content decreased. When the Cd stress reached 400 mg·kg-1, the leaves scorched, plants wilted, and the growth potential turned weak. For the two plant species, the Cd content in roots was higher than that in leaves and stems, suggesting that both V. tinus and V. odoratissimum had definite potential in enriching soil Cd. Compared with V. tinus, V. odoratissimum had stronger tolerance to Cd stress, and could be planted on the soils seriously polluted by Cd.
    Effects of forest vegetation change on soil microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities in Huitong, Hunan Province.
    2010, 29(05):  905-909. 
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    This paper studied the change trends of soil microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities in the process of vegetation change from natural evergreen broadleaved forest to Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation and then to Chinese fir and Michelia macclurei mixed plantation in Huitong, Hunan Province. During the vegetation change, the soil microbial biomass carbon decreased significantly. The soil microbial biomass carbon in Chinese fir plantation and in Chinese fir and M. macclurei mixed plantation was deceased by 76.8% and 71.5%, respectively, compared with that in natural evergreen broadleaved forest. After the vegetation change from natural evergreen broadleaved forest to Chinese fir plantation, the activities of soil invertase, urease, and phosphatase decreased by 35.8%, 22.1%, and 45.1%, respectively, while the activity of soil polyphenoloxidase increased by 40.0%. On the contrary, after the vegetation change from Chinese fir plantation to Chinese fir and M. macclurei mixed plantation, the activities of soil invertase, urease, and phosphatase increased by 20.3%, 12.6%, and 67.8%, respectively, while the activity of soil polyphenoloxidase decreased by 41.0%. The results showed that forest vegetation change greatly affected soil microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities, and the effects varied obviously with tree species.
    Soil microbial quantity and enzyme activity of different land-use patterns under converting polders back into wetlands in Dongting Lake area.
    2010, 29(05):  910-916. 
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    Taking the Qianlianghu polder in Dongting Lake area as a case, this paper studied the soil microbial quantity, enzyme activity, and their canonical correlations of five typical land-use patterns, i.e., forestland, garden land (vegetable and orchard), nonirrigated cropland (cotton, maize, and sugar cane), irrigated cropland (rice), and wasteland in the area. Among the five landuse patterns, nonirrigated cropland had the highest quantity of soil bacteria and actinomycetes, while wasteland had the highest quantity of fungi. Bacterium was the main microbial group, occupying 44.42%-92.93% of the total, followed by fungus 4.89%-42.76% and actinomycete 1.71%-24.52%. The phosphatase, urease, proteinase and dehydrogenase activities in 0-50 cm soil layer were 0.01-0.07 mg·g-1·d-1,0.01-0.05 mg·g-1·d-1, 0.92-7.11 mg·kg-1·d-1, and 0.01-0.38 μl·g-1·d-1, respectively, with the lowest phosphatase, urease, and dehydrogenase activities in garden land, wasteland, and irrigated cropland, and the lowest proteinase activity in nonirrigated cropland. The quantities of actinomycetes and bacteria had positive correlations with the canonical variable of soil microbes, with the correlation coefficient being 0.174 and 0.003, respectively, but the quantity of fungi had a negative correlation with the variable -0.215. The activities of urease and dehydrogenase had positive correlations with the canonical variable of soil enzyme activities, with the correlation coefficient being 10.557 and 1.616, respectively, but the activities of phosphatase and proteinase had negative correlations with the variable, their correlation efficient being -17.275 and -0.041, respectively. Through canonical correlation analysis, coordination analysis, and cluster analysis, it could be possible to use the microbial quantity and enzyme activity in different soil layers for the diagnosis of soil health and the classification of site type.
    Dynamic changes of soil microbial properties in karst peak-cluster depression area during vegetation restoration.
    2010, 29(05):  917-922. 
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    In order understand the effects of vegetation restoration in karst peak-cluster depression area on the soil microbial properties, soil samples were collected from tussock (T), shrub (S), secondary forest (SF), and primary forest (PF), with their microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), basic respiration (SR), ratio of MBC to soil organic carbon (qMBC), and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) analyzed. In the process of vegetation restoration, the soil MBC, MBN, and qMBC had an increasing trend, qCO2 was in reverse, and SR had less change, suggesting that soil quality was gradually improved during vegetation restoration (PF, SF>S>T). It was also found that the qMBC, SR, qCO2, and MBN varied with season. From summer to winter, the SR, qCO2, and MBN increased, while the qMBC decreased (except for T) (P<0.05). The MBC did not change significantly with season. Both MBN and qMBCwere correlated with soil organic matter and other microbial properties, and better reflected the changes of soil quality in karst peak-cluster depression area during vegetation restoration.
    Clay mineralogy and its palaeoclimatic indicative significance of Miocene-Pliocene sediments in Qimugan of Xinjiang.
    2010, 29(05):  923-932. 
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    To reconstruct the palaeoclimte of Miocene-Pliocene in Qimugan of Xinjiang, sediments were collected, and their clay minerals relative proportion, assemblage, and micromorphology were determined by the methods of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In early Miocene-early mid Miocene sediments, illite and chlorite were the main clay minerals, and montmorillonite was minor, indicating an arid palaeoclimate prevailed over the period. In late mid Miocene-early late Miocene sediments, illite content decreased slightly, and montmorillonite and kaolinite were minor, suggesting a relatively warm and humid palaeoclimate. The mid late Miocene sediments had the similar clay minerals assemblage as the early Miocene sediments, suggesting the similar climate conditions to the early Miocene age. In late late-Miocene-Pliocene sediments, illite content exhibited a decrease trend, while montmorillonite and kaolinite contents were in reverse, suggesting a relatively warm and humid palaeoclimate. However, the abundant illite and chlorite throughout the Miocene-Pliocene sediments in Qimugan of Xinjiang indicated a general cold and dry climate during the period, and the palaeoclimate experienced two cycles of cold and dry to relatively warm and humid, and the climate of the Miocene was drier than that of the Pliocene.
    Effects of the Yangshan deepwater port project on zooplankton diversity in adjacent waters of Hangzhou Bay.
    2010, 29(05):  933-938. 
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    Based on the data from two seasonal oceanographic surveys in the adjacent waters of Hangzhou Bay (30°32′N-30°50′N, 121°53′E-122°17′E) in the spring (May) and summer (August) of 2001 and 2003-2007, this paper studied the inter-annual variation of species composition and diversity of zooplankton in the waters, and the effects of the Yangshan deepwater port project on the community structure of the zooplankton. In 2003-2007, less change was observed in the species number in May. The species number was the largest in August 2003, and decreased after then. The species number of Mysidaces had an overall increase, but that of Chaetognatha didn’t change significantly. In 2003, owing to the effects of warm current, many offshore and tropical species appeared. From 2003 to 2007, the Shannon-Wiener index (H′) changed less in spring, but the species richness (d) and species evenness (J′) were in decline in summer. The variation of species diversity in summer was mainly attributed to the appearance of offshore species in certain years, which might be closely associated with the warm water current. In short, there was no significant difference in the zooplankton diversity before and after the construction of Yangshan project, but warm water current had evident effects on the species composition and diversity of the zooplankton.
    Effects of temperature and light intensity on the nitrate uptake kinetics of nitrogen starved and replete Ulva lactuca.
    2010, 29(05):  939-944. 
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    In order to investigate the nutrient uptake ability of macroalga and to screen efficient biofilter to remedy coastal eutrophication, this paper studied the effects of three levels temperature and light intensity and their interactions on the nitrate uptake kinetics of nitrogen starved and replete Ulva lactuca. Under nitrogen repletion, the maximum nitrate uptake rate of U. lactuca increased with increasing light intensity. At 30 ℃, the maximum uptake rate increased with increasing light intensity, but the Vmax/Km value reached the highest at medium light intensity. The optimal temperature for the nitrate uptake by U. lactuca was 20 ℃, and the nitrate uptake rate was much higher under nitrogen starved condition than under nitrogen replete condition. The nitrate uptake rate of U. lactuca was similar at 10 ℃ and 20 ℃. At 30 ℃, U. lactuca had the highest maximum uptake rate at medium light intensity. The increase of light intensity enhanced the nitrate uptake at 10 ℃ and 20 ℃, but had less effect at 30 ℃. Nitrogen starved U. lactuca had a higher nitrate uptake rate than nitrogen replete U. lactuca. Even under nitrogen replete condition, U. lactuca could still take nitrate from the ambient environment.
    Effects of water carbonate alkalinity and pH on survival rate of post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei.
    2010, 29(05):  945-950. 
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    An acute toxicity test was conducted to determine the effects of water carbonate alkalinity (CA) and pH on the survival rate of post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei. With the increase of water pH (7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10.0and 10.5), the survival rate of post-larval L. vannamei decreased. When the water pH was higher than 9.0 and the water CA was 3 mmol·L-1, the survival rate was significantly affected. With the increase of water CA (0-44.43 mmol·L-1), the survival rate decreased, and the tolerance ability decreased significantly with increasing water pH. When the water pH was 8.8, 9.2, and 9.6, the 48 h LC50 of post-larval L. vannamei exposed to CA was 36.81, 33.05, and 5.55 mmol·L-1, respectively. Water CA and pH acted jointly on the survival of post-larval L. vannamei, and carbonate ion was the major lethal factor.Our results indicated that L. vannamei was suitable to be cultured in saline waters.
    Effects of water salinity on embryonic development of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus.
    2010, 29(05):  951-956. 
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    A hatching experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different water salinity on the embryonic development of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus, aimed to determine the optimal water salinity for hatching O. fasciatus.The eggs were hatched in the water with eight salinities at 23.0 ℃-25.2 ℃, and the embryonic development was investigated and described. Both low and high water salinity had durative damage to the embryos, making most of the embryos shrank and died at division stage and parts of them shrank and died after gastrula stage. Low water salinity led to the high deformity rate of newly hatched larvae, mainly inducing the L- or C-type bending of spine; while high water salinity led to the malformed development of tail since the blastopore closed. Through the analysis of the relationships between hatching rate, newly hatched larvae deformity rate, and water salinity, the relationship between the percentage of healthy larvae (PHL) and water salinity (S) could be described as PHL=-0.0018S2-0.1135S-0.8853 (R2=0.948). It was suggested that at 23.0 ℃-25.2 ℃, the appropriate water salinity for hatching (PHL>70%) was 21-42, and the optimal water salinity for hatching (PHL>90%) was 30-33.
    Effects of water temperature and body mass on oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion of artificially domesticated Exopalaemon modestus offspring in Taihu Lake.
    2010, 29(05):  957-962. 
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    Taking the artificially domesticated Exopalaemon modestus offspring from Taihu Lake as test objects, this paper studied the effects of water temperature and their body mass on their oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion. The water temperature ranged from 12 ℃ to 30 ℃, and the body mass ranged from (0.12±0.01) g to (1.93±0.05) g. The oxygen consumption rate of the offspringwas from 0.1497 to 0.9053 mg·g-1·h-1, averaged 0.3901 mg·g-1·h-1; and the ammonia excretion rate was from 0.0165 to 0.0866 mg·g-1·h-1, averaged 0.0379 mg·g-1·h-1. Water temperature, body mass, and their interaction had significant effects on the oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion. The relationships of oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates with water temperature could be described as Ro=0.0711e0.0749t (r=0.877) and Rn=0.0113e0.0530t (r=0.747), and the relationships of the two metabolic rates with body mass could be described as Ro=0.3114W-0.2414 (r=-0.436) and Rn=0.0307W-0.3007 (r=-0.657), respectively. The binary linear regression equations of water temperature and body mass with the two metabolic rates could be expressed as Ro=0.028T-0.147W-0.053 (r=0.948) and Rn=0.002T-0.017W+0.013 (r=0.922). The Q10 value of oxygen consumption rate ranged from 1.17 to 4.20, with an average of 2.10, and the Q10 value of ammonia excretion rate ranged from 1.15 to 2.29, with an average of 1.64. Within the range of test water temperature, the ratio of consumed oxygen to excreted ammonia for each class of body mass increased with increasing water temperature, being from 7.42 to 13.62 and averaged 10.04. At the water temperature from 12 ℃ to 18 ℃, the offspring took protein as their major energy source; while at the water temperature from 21 ℃ to 30 ℃, the offspring utilized more fat, and the medium-sized individuals had the highest fat metabolic rate.
    Metabolic thermogenesis of Streptopelia chinesis.
    2010, 29(05):  963-967. 
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    Aimed to understand the eco-physiological characteristics of Streptopelia chinesis in southeast China, its individuals in Wenzhou City (27°29′N, 120°51′E) of Zhejiang Province were live-trapped by mist net, with their metabolic rate (MR), body temperature (Tb), and thermal conductance (C) at ambient temperature (Ta) 0 ℃, 6.5 ℃, 10.5 ℃, 16.5 ℃, 20 ℃, 22.5 ℃, 25 ℃, 27.5 ℃ and 30 ℃ measured. The MR was measured by using closed circuit respirometer, Tb was measured by the insertion of a digital   thermometer into cloaca, and C was calculated by using the formula C=MR/(Tb-Ta). At Ta 0 ℃-30 ℃, the Tb was relatively stable, with an average of (40.74±0.1)  ℃. The thermal neutral zone was 22.5 ℃-27.5 ℃, and the mean MR within the thermal neutral zone was (160.48±6.05) ml O2·h-1, accounting for 65% of the expected value from its body mass. At Ta 0 ℃-25 ℃, the C was (0.07±0.01) ml O2·g-1·h-1·℃-1, representing 122% of the expected value based on its body mass. In sum, S. chinesis had the eco-physiological characteristics of low MR, high Tb, narrow thermal neutral zone, and relatively high C, making it able to better adapt the warmer climate environment in south China.
    Behaviors time budget and diurnal rhythm of Ciconia boyciana in its breeding season
    2010, 29(05):  968-972. 
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    By the method of scan sampling, an observation from March to June 2009 was made on the behaviors of four pairs Ciconia boyciana in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, with the behaviors time budget and diurnal rhythm in breeding season studied. In the breeding season, the time budget proportion of breeding behavior accounted for 22.17%±21.69% (hatching 19.75%±20.71%, drying egg 1.31%±2.16%, feeding 1.00%±1.01%, mating 0.11%±0.32%), and that of resting, nest fixing, alerting, preening, and others accounted for 19.09%±13.94%, 6.40%±5.92%, 3.94%±4.88%, 3.11%±2.31%, and 45.27%±11.08%, respectively. The behaviors excited significant differences (P<0.01) during diff erent stages of the breeding season. The behavioral activities of C. boyciana at different stages of breeding season had definite rhythm, and the diurnal rhythm differed obviously. There existed significant correlations between temperature and drying egg (r=0.810, P<0.01), hatching (r=0.735, P<0.01), vehicles number and alerting (r=0.745, P<0.01), and resting (r=0.612, P<0.01).
    Feeding-deterrent activity of Lantana camara EC and its mixtures against Phyllotreta striolata.
    2010, 29(05):  973-977. 
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    In this paper, the feeding-deterrent and persistent activities of 12.5% Lantana camara  EC and its mixtures with 7.5% rotenone EC, 1.5% pyrethrum EW, or 0.3% azadirachtin EC against Phyllotreta striolata adults were tested. After treated with 1000-fold dilution of 12.5% L. camara EC for 48 h, the antifeedant rate against P. striolata was 40%, and, with increasing concentration of L. camara EC, the antifeedant rate was increased. After treated with 200-, 400-, and 600-fold dilution of 12.5% L. camara EC for 120 h, the antifeedant rate reached to 76%, 68%, and 43%, respectively. A synergistic effect (AFC50=5.25 μg·ml-1; CTC=213) and an additive or antagonistic effect (CTC=149 or <100) were observed when the 12.5% L. camara EC was mixed with 7.5% rotenone EC in 5∶5, with 1.5% pyrethrum EW in 1∶9, or with 0.3% azadirachtin EC, respectively. 12.5% L. camara EC had strong antifeedant effect against P.striolata, and had good persistent activity after 200- and 400-fold dilution. It could be also used in combination with 7.5% rotenone EC.
    Evaluation of ground water in Liupanshui City of Guizhou Province based on the determination of δ13C and87Sr/86Sr
    2010, 29(05):  978-984. 
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    Aimed to understand the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quality of the ground water in Liupanshui City of Guizhou Province, water samples were collected in dry and wet seasons, with their chemical composition, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), δ13CDIC, and strontium isotopic composition analyzed. The main ions in the groundwater were Ca2+and HCO3-, followed by Mg2+ and SO42-, being typical in karst area. The saturationindex of groundwater calcite (SIcalcite) had less change, and was negatively correlated with pCO2, suggesting that the degradation of organic pollutants affected the waterrock interaction to a certain extent. The DIC content was higher in dry season than in wet season, while the δ13CDIC did not change obviously. Isotopic and hydrochemical analyses indicated that the groundwater in town and farmland area was obviously contaminated by anthropogenic input. The 87Sr/86Sr in study area changed less, and its value in contaminated water was 0.7080. All the results suggestedthat the effects of anthropogenic input on the groundwater in Liupanshui City were dependent on the geological background, pollutant types, and hydrological conditions.
    Risk assessment and regionalization of waterlogging disaster for wheat in Jianghuai Region.
    2010, 29(05):  985-990. 
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    Based on the theories of disaster risk analysis, the climate data over the years, and the information about wheat growth, its planting area, and grain yield in Jianghuai Region, this paper analyzed the waterlogging vulnerability, climatic risk, disaster-loss risk, and anti-disaster capability of wheat in the Region. The models characterizing the waterlogging risk for wheat, including waterlogging vulnerability, climatic risk index, disaster-loss risk index, and comprehensive assessment coefficient of waterlogging risk, were established, and the regionalization of waterlogging risk for wheat in Jianghuai Region was made, with the comprehensive assessment coefficient of waterlogging risk as the indicator. In the Region, the characters of the waterlogging risk could be better characterized by the combination of four factors, including waterlogging vulnerability, climatic risk index, disaster-loss risk index, and anti-disaster capability. The comprehensive risk of waterlogging for wheat was classified into four levels, i.e., high, medium high, medium, and low. The south Jianghuai Region in Anhui Province belonged to high risk area; the areas along the middle part of Huaihe River, middle-south part of Jianghuai Region, and Hongze Lake belonged to medium-high risk area; the south of 33°N in Henan Province and the middle part of the north area along Huaihe River in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces belonged to medium risk area; and the north of 33 °N belonged to low risk area.
    Spatiotemporal variations of vegetation cover in Huang-Huai-Hai area based on remote sensing data.
    2010, 29(05):  991-999. 
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    Based on the 1982-2003 GIMMS NDVI data after processed through synthesis, re-sampling, and time-series filtering, and by using the analysis methods of linear trend and empirical orthogonal function (EOF), this paper studied the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation cover in Huang-Huai-Hai area. In the past 22 years, the vegetation NDVI in the whole area had a slightly increasing trend, and the growth season tended to be advanced and prolonged. In most part of the area, vegetation activity enhanced; but in local parts of it, there existed vegetation degradation. The vegetation NDVI indicated an obvious increasing trend in spring but an obvious decreasing trend in summer. According to the dynamic trend of pixel number for different vegetation types, the unchanged types were dominated by forest, shrub, and agricultural vegetations, while grassland vegetation presented an increasing trend. The EOF analysis for NDVI anomaly during main growth seasons showed that the first mode was characterized by positive variation in the central, south, and north regions but negative variation in edging regions, the second mode was characterized by the variation from positive to negative and dominated by positive variation in the direction from southeast to northwest regions, and the third mode was characterized by the variation of positive-negative-positive in the direction from southeast to northwest regions, in which, the regions with negative variation were dominated by forest and single-season agricultural vegetation, while those with positive variation were dominated by cropland and grassland. The third mode approximately reflected the distribution type of NDVI in the farming-pasturing and forest regions of the Huang-Huai-Hai area.
    Dynamic changes of landscape |in Xinzhuang town based on high-resolution remote image and GIS.
    2010, 29(05):  1000-1007. 
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    By using 1980, 1991, 2001, and 2009 high-resolution (spatial resolution≤1 m) remote sensing images, and selecting dynamic degree, transfer matrix, and landscape pattern metrics as the indices, this paper analyzed the holistic characteristics of landscape change, its rate and transfer flow direction, and pattern characteristics at landscape and class levels in Xinzhuang town of Changshu city. In 1980-2009, the paddy field in the town had a sharp decrease, dry land and water area also decreased, residential land, industrial land, and fish pond kept rapid increase, while the other landscape types changed less. Paddy field was all along the most important “source” of land-use conversion, with the main transfer destination being fish pond, industrial land, and residential land. Before 2001, fish pond and residential land were the “sinks” of the landuse conversion; after 2001, with the rapid rural urbanization and industrialization, construction land gradually became the most important “sink” of landuse conversion, and the contribution of industrial land and residential land increased. At landscape level, the fragmentation and heterogeneity increased, dominance decreased, and landscape was more diversified and homogenized. At class level, the dominance of residential land, fish pond, and industrial land increased but that of paddy field decreased, the LPI of paddy field and water area was much greater than that of other landscape types at each period, and the LPI of residential land, industrial land, and fish pond increased gradually over time. The LSI of water area and dry land was the largest, followed by paddy field, residential land, and fish pond, indicating that these landscape types were more complex, while the others were relatively regular.
    Research advances on dispersal in metapopulations.
    2010, 29(05):  1008-1013. 
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    Metapopulation is one of the hotspots in the researches of landscape ecology and conservation biology. However, the field studies on metapopulation are largely focused on the effects of habitat area and isolation, and a few are concerned with the factors affecting the dynamics of metapopulation. In fact, there are many factors affecting metapopulation, e.g., connectivity, dispersal, and habitat quality. This paper reviewed the recent research advances on the dispersal in metapopulation, with the focus on (1) factors that affect dispersal, e.g., habitat quality, patch connectivity, and population density, (2) dispersal directionality, which is nonrandom and often determined with microsatellite markers, (3) dispersal distance, which is affected not only by species characteristics, but also by the presence of stepping stones and many other factors, and (4) effects of dispersal on metapopulation dynamics. Dispersal is affected by the spatial structure of metapopulation and habitat quality, and in return, affects the metapopulation dynamics, which should be attached importance to for biological conservation.
    Roles of plant root system in bank reinforcement and erosion resistance: A review.
    2010, 29(05):  1014-1020. 
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    Plant root system plays an important role in keeping the stability of bank and soil. This paper reviewed the mechanisms of plant root system in bank reinforcement and erosion resistance, the methodologies for evaluating the effect, and the relationships of plant root system with the reinforcement and resistance. Many valuable results in these research areas have been obtained, but compared with that in Western countries, the research in China is still rare and at preliminary stage. It was suggested that future studies should more focus on the change patterns of plant root system and beach soil erosion among seasons and years, and the effects of different management measures for plant above-ground parts on the characters of plant underground part.
    Effects of long wave ultraviolet radiation on vertebrate.
    2010, 29(05):  1021-1027. 
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    The intensification of ozone hole has significantly increased the level of ultraviolet (UVB) radiation in the atmosphere, and thus, the environmental pollution caused by this radiation has become a widespread concern. Many studies have been focused on the biological effects of medium wave UVA radiation and its relationships with amphibian decline, but less on the biological effects of long wave UVA radiation. This paper reviewed the recent studies on the UVA damage on vertebrates, including the damage mechanisms on cell structure, enzyme activities, genetic material, membrane structure, and immune system. The problems in the studies of UVA-induced damages and the advantages of using amphibian as an experimental model in studying the impacts of UVA-induced damage were analyzed.
    Methodological advances in soil protozoa research.
    2010, 29(05):  1028-1034. 
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    Comparisons of the digestive enzyme activities between |wild and farmed rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli).
    2010, 29(05):  1035-1038. 
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    By the methods of biochemistry, the activities of protease, amylase and lipase in the stomach, intestine and hepatopancreas of wild and farmed rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) were determined under the conditions of 37 ℃ and optimum pH. Except the amylase and lipase activities in hepatopancresa, the test enzyme activities in the three organs of farmed rockfish were all higher than those of wild one. There were significant differences in the activities of the three digestive enzymes in stomach and intestine between wild and farmed rockfish (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed in hepatopancreas (P>0.05). The differences in the digestive enzyme activities between wild and farmed rockfish could be resulted from the unstable and insufficient foods for wild rockfish in the natural environment.
    An integrated ecological and economic assessment index system for exotic tree species.
    2010, 29(05):  1039-1046. 
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    The increasing introduction of diverse exotic trees imposes an urgent need to comprehensively assess their ecological, economic, and cultural values, while establishing a scientific assessment index system is the key to achieve this goal. In this paper, a 4-level hierarchical structure design was adopted to determine the assessment indices about the adaptability, reproduction and spread, damage potential, and ornamental, economic, ecological, and cultural values of exotic tree species. Each of the indices at each level was scored, and a weight was given based on expert consultation to calculate its final score. The final score was then classified into three levels, and corresponding management measures were proposed. The assessment system was used to evaluate 14 exotic tree species in Beijing City and surrounding areas. It was indicated that Fraxinus velutina, Faxinus americana, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Rhus typhina were more suitable for urban and ecological plantings, while Fraxinus velutina, Populus × euramericana, Juniperus virginiana, and Carya illinoensis were more fitted for nature conservation plantings.